Well, I figured I should update on my progress. I finally bit the bullet and had the stove shop come out to break out the existing tile liner and put in the new 6" Forever-Flex insulated liner. When they started the breakout, we immediately found out that the existing liner was definitely NOT up to code and this house was built in 2003. The attached picture shows that there was absolutely no air space around the liner. The bricks were mortared tight against it. Took the guys almost 5 hours to break out the liner because of that. No wonder I couldn't get a decent draft, I was trying to heat the entire 30' chimney, brick and all!
So, after a full 8 hours of suffering in the 30 mph wind and sub-20*F temperatures the installers finally got the liner in and hooked up. The guys from AES Hearthplace did a phenomenal job and everything is now up to code. With the old liner the lack of draft or sometimes downdraft would blow out a lighter held at the inlet to the chimney. Now, the draft is so strong it will pull the flame completely sideways.
I ran the NC-30 with a proper liner for the first time last night and although it was a little slow to get up to temperature, once it did get going, it definitely went. I saw a peak of 627*F stove top (and of course set off the smoke detector since it was a new high temp) and it cruised at about 550*F for about 2 hours. I was running it about 1/2 open for most of that time trying to get the basement warmed up.
The liner has definitely made a huge difference in the operation of the stove and my piece of mind. My advice to anyone who is on the fence about a liner; make no assumptions about any existing installation, get a properly sized stainless liner, get it insulated, and put it in. It's well worth the expense.
So, after a full 8 hours of suffering in the 30 mph wind and sub-20*F temperatures the installers finally got the liner in and hooked up. The guys from AES Hearthplace did a phenomenal job and everything is now up to code. With the old liner the lack of draft or sometimes downdraft would blow out a lighter held at the inlet to the chimney. Now, the draft is so strong it will pull the flame completely sideways.
I ran the NC-30 with a proper liner for the first time last night and although it was a little slow to get up to temperature, once it did get going, it definitely went. I saw a peak of 627*F stove top (and of course set off the smoke detector since it was a new high temp) and it cruised at about 550*F for about 2 hours. I was running it about 1/2 open for most of that time trying to get the basement warmed up.
The liner has definitely made a huge difference in the operation of the stove and my piece of mind. My advice to anyone who is on the fence about a liner; make no assumptions about any existing installation, get a properly sized stainless liner, get it insulated, and put it in. It's well worth the expense.
![[Hearth.com] Why a Liner is Imperative](/talk/data/attachments/152/152741-ef001f71fae784c372eee175987d5252.jpg?hash=Ti0nuZ5krV)
